This is a fun collection of seven String Quartet arrangements of famous pieces of music including Debussy's 'Cake walk' and the aria 'In the depths of the temple' from Bizet's 'The Pearl Fishers'. The arrangements feature prominent Viola parts (and very good 2nd Violin parts too!) and were created by Maxine Komlos with assistance by Danny Glancy as a result of most composers only giving the Viola occasional short solos in their works.

Arrangements for string quartet of 'Romance for string orchestra, op 11' (1928), 'Elegy for violin and piano, op 22' (1940), and 'Prelude for string orchestra, op 25' (1940s). 'Romance' (8 mins) was first performed in 2009 by the Finzi Quartet at London's Wigmore Hall, and has been recorded by them on Resonus Classics RES 10109. 'Elegy' (9 mins) and 'Prelude' (5 mins) were first performed in 2014 by the Marilla Quartet at Downe House School, Berkshire, UK. The arrangements are presented as three separate works and form an attractive addition to the string quartet repertory.Difficulty:Prelude: intermediateRomance and Elegy:intermediate/advanced. / Quatuor De Cordes

for 2 Violins Viola Basso and 2 Horns-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's A Musical Joke is filled with intentional mistakes by the composer who inserted odd notes into this amusing and mischievous piece in order to take an angry side-swipe atdilettante composer-colleagues of his time whose lack of imagination and artless compositional technique are here mercilessly demonstrated - the piece was not intended to parody musicians who play wrong notes as its later title?Village Musicians? suggests. A musical and intellectual delight for today?s performers and audiences alike this piece is now performable for the first time using a genuine Urtext quality edition based onthe autograph in Berlin. A Musical Joke is scored for 2 Violins Viola Basso and 2 Horns in F.

'Il est donc tout à fait tort de placer les joueurs juste mécaniques ou médiocre à l'alto', a averti Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart en 1784/85 dans son 'Ideen zu einer der Ästhetik Tonkunst'. Un certain mépris pour l'instrument existe encore aujourd'hui, si vous pensez que le grand nombre de blagues alto. Mais sérieusement, l'alto a bien sûr s'émanciper et a bien sûr eu sa place dans l'orchestre, comme instrument soliste ou en musique de chambre, même si, il est vrai, le répertoire est plus faible que pour le violon ou le violoncelle. Wolfgang Birtel a étendu le répertoire en ajoutant six quatuors alto, arrangements allant de titres classiques tels que le fameux air de Bach, une mazurka de Chopin, 'Salut d'amour' d'Elgar à des titres plus divertissants: de la mélodie entraînante de la Gavotte par Gossec à Martini 'Plaisir d'amour', qui n'est pas moins résistant à l'oreille, et enfin de la musique de salon avec Noack 'Heinzelmännchens Wachparade '- tous très divertissant, à la fois pour la lecture et l'écoute! / 4 Altos